Shipping container

ABSTRACT

A shipping container includes a shipping base housing. An accessory unit cradle is within the shipping base housing. The accessory unit cradle is configured to support an accessory unit within the container. A winch assembly is affixed to the shipping base housing and has at least one attachment cable configured for selective attachment to a transport vehicle. The winch is configured to wind the at least one attachment cable to hoist the shipping base housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a shipping container, and more particularly, to a shipping container for housing an accessory unit mountable on a transport vehicle.

BACKGROUND

It is often desirable to mount a structure, such as an engine, a fuel tank, a cargo container, an air defense pod, or the like (hereafter referenced as an “accessory unit”) to an elevated target surface of a transport vehicle, such as an underside of a wing or a belly of an aircraft, or a chassis of a truck. The target surface may be substantially downward facing and spaced apart from the ground below, and may include an aperture through which the accessory unit is at least partially passed before mounting. Mounting to a target surface requires that the accessory unit be lifted and temporarily supported adjacent the target surface while a more permanent attachment is formed. The accessory unit may be mounted to, or removed from, the transport vehicle in the field, such as in a staging area (e.g., a parking lot or an airfield hangar), rather than in a manufacturing environment.

Often, the accessory unit is bulky, heavy, awkwardly shaped, or otherwise difficult to temporarily support in the necessary elevated position stably enough to allow the accessory unit to be mounted properly. Moreover, there may not be readily available personnel and/or lifting devices in the field to safely hoist the accessory unit into the mounting position, as might be present in a more-controlled manufacturing environment. Therefore, it is desirable to provide lifting assistance in the field without requiring specialty tools or lifting devices.

Additionally, the accessory unit may need to be transported to the field (or from one field location to another) for mounting to a desired transport vehicle, and may require protection from ambient conditions during transport and/or storage. Thus, it is also desirable to provide a protective covering/housing to the accessory unit.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a shipping container for housing an accessory unit mountable to a transport vehicle. One aspect of the present invention provides a shipping container. The shipping container includes a shipping base housing. An accessory unit cradle is within the shipping base housing. The accessory unit cradle is configured to support an accessory unit within the container. A winch assembly is affixed to the shipping base housing and has at least one attachment cable configured for selective attachment to a transport vehicle. The winch is configured to wind the at least one attachment cable to hoist the shipping base housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a shipping container for housing an accessory unit mountable to a transport vehicle. The shipping container includes means for housing the accessory unit, means for supporting the accessory unit within the means for housing, and means for hoisting the means for housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.

Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a method of installing an accessory unit on a transport vehicle. The accessory unit is transported to the transport vehicle in a shipping container that includes a shipping base housing, an accessory unit cradle within the shipping base housing, and a winch assembly having at least one attachment cable, the winch assembly being affixed to the shipping base housing. The shipping container is positioned at a desired installation area of the transport vehicle. At least one attachment cable is connected to the transport vehicle. The winch assembly is actuated to wind the at least one attachment cable about the winch assembly lifting the shipping base housing and the accessory unit to position the accessory unit for attaching to the transport vehicle. The accessory unit is attached to the transport vehicle. The winch assembly is actuated to unwind the at least one attachment cable from the winch assembly lowering the shipping base housing from the transport vehicle. The attachment cable is disconnected from the transport vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a top view of a closed shipping container in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a side view of the shipping container taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a front view of the shipping container taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of a closed shipping container in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts a perspective view of an open, empty shipping container in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of an open shipping container in accordance with an aspect of the present invention holding an accessory unit.

The sequence of FIGS. 7-14 depicts the operation of a shipping container in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 depict top, side, and front views, respectively, of a shipping container 100 according to an aspect of the present invention. The shipping container 100 includes a shipping base housing 102, which may be supported by one or more container wheels 104. The container wheels 104, when present, are attached to the shipping base housing 102 and are configured to provide rolling support for transporting the shipping container 100 to a desired location. The container wheels 104 may be retractable and/or deactivatable to prevent unwanted motion of the shipping container 100, and at least one container wheel may swivel to assist in steering the shipping container. A tow bar 106 may be provided to assist in connecting the shipping container 100 to a pulling power source (not shown) for transport of the shipping container. The tow bar 106, when present, may be collapsible, detachable, or otherwise selectively available for use. The shipping container 100 may also include a shipping cover housing 108 which is configured to substantially enclose a space cooperatively with the shipping base housing 102 when the shipping container is in the closed position of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The shipping base housing 102 and shipping cover housing 108 may be made of any material and in any configuration/shape/size, but should be designed and manufactured to provide adequate protection to an accessory unit (not shown) for distance shipping, local transport, and/or storage. In addition, the shipping base housing 102 and shipping cover housing 108 may be sized or shaped to coordinate with a certain type or types of accessory unit and/or transport vehicle (not shown).

In FIG. 4, the shipping container 100 is depicted in a closed position, with the shipping cover housing 108 and shipping base housing 102 connected together by at least one shipping housing fastener 210. The shipping housing fasteners 210 may be of any suitable type and act to selectively attach the shipping cover housing 108 and the shipping base housing 102 together. In FIG. 5, therefore, the shipping housing fasteners 210 have been released and the shipping cover housing 108 removed to show the shipping container 100 in an open position.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, an accessory unit cradle 212 is located within, and may be attached to, the shipping base housing 102. The accessory unit cradle 212 is configured to support an accessory unit (not shown) within the container. The accessory unit cradle 212 may include at least one shock-absorbing mounting 214 which suspends the accessory unit within the shipping container 100 during transport and installation.

A winch assembly 216 is affixed to the shipping base housing 102, optionally on an inside portion thereof as shown in FIG. 5, so as to be substantially enclosed by the shipping cover housing 108 in the closed position. The winch assembly 216 has at least one attachment cable (not shown) configured for selective attachment to at least one location on a transport vehicle (not shown). The winch assembly 216 may be manually powered, such as through a crank handle (not shown), or at least one winch motor 218 may be configured to provide power to the winch assembly. Alternately, a receiving shaft (not shown) may be provided to allow a separately provided handheld drill or other power tool to power the winch assembly 216. Any desired mechanical advantage structures, such as a geartrain, may be provided to the winch assembly 216 by one of ordinary skill in the art. The winch assembly 216 may include a first winch device 220 positioned at a first end 222 of the shipping base housing 102 and a second winch device 224 positioned at a second end 226 of the shipping base housing 102 spaced apart from the first end 222. Though two are shown, the winch assembly 216 may include any number of winch devices, at any suitable positions on any components of the shipping container 100, and each winch device may be operatively connected to any number of attachment cables.

As shown in the open position view of FIG. 6, an accessory unit 328 is selectively carried by the accessory unit cradle 212. The accessory unit 328 may be an engine, a fuel tank, a cargo container, an air defense pod, or the like, and is substantially enclosed by the shipping base housing 102 and shipping cover housing 108 when the shipping container 100 is in the closed position of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The accessory unit 328 may include one or more mounting lugs 330 operable to secure the accessory unit in a mounting position on the transport vehicle (not shown).

The mounting lugs 330 may be used to suspend the accessory unit 328 from the shock-absorbing mountings 214 depicted in FIG. 5, to prevent an outer housing 332 of the accessory unit 328 from contacting other surfaces within the shipping container 100 during shipping. In FIG. 6, by contrast, the weight of the accessory unit 328 has been released from the shock-absorbing mountings and is entirely resting upon a pair of undersupports 334. The shock- absorbing mountings are not present in FIG. 6, having already been removed from the shipping container 100 to allow direct access to the mounting lugs 330 for mounting the accessory unit 328 to the transport vehicle. Optionally, the undersupports 334 may be used only to support the accessory unit 328 shortly before or after the accessory unit is provided to the transport vehicle. In such case, a lowering mechanism (not shown), such as a scissor jack, may be provided within the shipping container 100 to assist in shifting support of the accessory unit 328 from the shock- absorbing mountings to the undersupports 334 at an appropriate time. In the alternative, however, the undersupports 334 may assist the shock-absorbing mountings in carrying the accessory unit 328 during shipping and storage.

FIG. 6 also depicts two attachment cables 332 which are selectively wound and unwound from the first and second winch devices 220 and 224 to hoist the shipping base housing 102 into a desired relationship with the transport vehicle. The attachment cables 332 can be made of any material suitable for the load. For example, woven straps of polyester or nylon may provide desirable durability and corrosion-resistance properties, as might chains, braids, or cables made of steel or other metals. Regardless of the composition of the attachment cables 332, each attachment cable should include appropriate hardware or other structure to facilitate connection of the attachment cables to the transport vehicle in a sufficiently weight-bearing manner.

The sequence of FIGS. 7-14 depicts the operation of a shipping container 100 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. A transport vehicle 434, such as an air or land vehicle to which the accessory unit 328 is to be attached, is depicted in part. The accessory unit 328 could be blind-mounted to the transport vehicle 434 for simple carrying purposes (e.g., as a cargo container) or could interface with the transport vehicle 434 or a system carried therein to provide some sort of function or service during transport (e.g., as a supplementary fuel tank or defense mechanism).

In FIG. 7, the shipping container 100 is positioned on the ground 436 at a desired installation area with respect to the transport vehicle 434. The ground 436 may be a parking lot, runway, hangar floor, or any other surface beneath the transport vehicle 434. When present, the container wheels 104 and/or tow bar (not shown) may assist in positioning the shipping container 100 as desired. In the FIG. 7 arrangement, the shipping container 100 is depicted in a closed position, in which the shipping base housing 102 and shipping cover housing 108 cooperatively enclose the accessory unit (not shown).

Turning to FIG. 8, the shipping cover housing 108 has been removed, such as by manual lifting via handles (not shown) provided for the purpose, and the accessory unit 328 is exposed. At this time, installing personnel may inspect the accessory unit 328 and/or perform any preliminary attachments, detachments, or other operations which may be desired before the accessory unit is mounted to the transport vehicle 434. For example, if the weight of the accessory unit 328 was entirely supported by the shock-absorbing mountings 214, the installers may lower the accessory unit onto the undersupports 334, perhaps with the assistance of a mechanical device, to ready the mounting lugs 330 for attachment to the transport vehicle 434.

In FIG. 9, attachment cables 332 have been connected to the transport vehicle 434, optionally to at least one cable attachment point 438 carried by the transport vehicle. For example, a recessed load-bearing eyebolt may be provided as a cable attachment point 438 on the transport vehicle. Each cable attachment point 438 should be structured to facilitate the placement of the accessory unit 328 into a desired predetermined position with the transport vehicle 434. Optionally, several different sets (not shown) of cable attachment points 438 could be provided to a single transport vehicle 434, with each set being designed to attach a certain type of accessory unit 328 to the transport vehicle 434. The attachment cables 332 may be configured for connection to the transport vehicle 434 using only commonly available tools or even totally by hand, to facilitate mounting of the accessory unit 328 to the transport vehicle 434 in a field location having austere mechanical facilities.

After the attachment cables 332 are connected to the transport vehicle 434, the winch assembly 216 is actuated to wind the attachment cables 332, as shown in FIG. 10. The winch assembly 216 is therefore configured to hoist the shipping base housing 102, with the accessory unit 328 carried thereupon, in a first direction (shown by upward arrow 440) and into a predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle 434. This may be accomplished, for example, by concurrently winding the first winch device 220 and the second winch device 224.

It is contemplated that a leveling/tilt system (not shown) may be provided to position the accessory unit 328 in a predetermined angular orientation with respect to the transport vehicle 434. The leveling/tilt system may be of any suitable type (active or passive); may be actuated at any time before, during, and/or after the hoisting of the accessory unit 328; may be integral with or otherwise use the winch assembly 216; and may readily be designed for a particular application by one of ordinary skill in the art. It is also contemplated that the winch assembly 216 may be configured to hoist all or any part of the shipping container 100 with respect to the transport vehicle 434, and may be placed in any position or orientation to do so. For example, the winch assembly could be attached directly to the transport vehicle 434 with attachment cables 332 reaching from the winch assembly to at least a portion of a shipping container 100.

Once the accessory unit 328 has been hoisted into the predetermined position, the accessory unit can be mounted to the transport vehicle 434, as shown in FIG. 11. The mounting may be carried out by connecting the mounting lugs 330, when provided, to corresponding mounting fittings 442 on the transport vehicle 434. Similarly to the connection of the attachment cables 332 to the transport vehicle 434, it may be desirable for the accessory unit 328 mounting to be accomplished either entirely by hand or with the assistance of commonly available tools, to promote use of the shipping container 100 in sparsely equipped field conditions.

When the accessory unit 328 has been mounted to the transport vehicle 434, any remaining attachments between the accessory unit and the shipping base housing 102 are released. For example, a strap (not shown) may have been provided to secure the accessory unit 328 to the accessory unit cradle 212 to prevent shifting of the accessory unit during lifting. The winch assembly 216 is then actuated to unwind the attachment cables 332 and lower the shipping base housing 102 in a second direction (downward arrow 444, in FIG. 12), away from the transport vehicle 434 and the mounted accessory unit 328.

In FIG. 13, the shipping base housing 102 has been fully lowered, with the container wheels 104 resting on the ground 436. The attachment cables 332 are then disconnected from the transport vehicle 434 and may be stowed in a storage position if some provision for such is made (e.g., the attachment cables may be fully wound onto the winch assembly 216). At this point, the shipping container 100 is in the arrangement depicted in FIG. 14, with the accessory unit 328 mounted to the transport vehicle 434 and separated from the shipping base housing 102, and the shipping base housing 102 may be removed from the vicinity of the transport vehicle 434. The shipping cover housing 108 may be replaced on the shipping base housing 102 to close the empty shipping container 100 for storage or other use.

The sequence of operations depicted in FIGS. 7-14 may be reversed to dismount the accessory unit 328 from the transport vehicle 434. The end result of such a reversed process will be to place the accessory unit 328 within the shipping base housing 102 on the accessory unit cradle 212, ready for remounting to the same or a different transport vehicle 434 in that location. Alternately, the accessory unit 328 may be prepared for shipping to a different location, once positioned on the accessory unit cradle 212 (either by the reversed FIGS. 7-14 sequence, as above, or by the use of any other available hoisting/placement means). The shipping cover housing 108 is placed upon the shipping base housing 102 to substantially enclose the accessory unit 328 within the shipping container 100. When provided, shipping housing fasteners 210 or another attachment means may be operated to attach the shipping cover housing 108 to the shipping base housing 102. The shipping container 100 may then be shipped to a remote location for attaching the accessory unit 328 to a remotely located transport vehicle 434.

Though the above description presumes that a winch assembly 216 and at least partially flexible attachment cables 332 are used for hoisting the shipping base housing 102 into the predetermined position, it is contemplated that other mechanical systems may be used to provide the same or a similar hoisting function. For example, a threaded rod and collar arrangement, a ratchet mechanism, or any other hoisting system may be selected by one of ordinary skill in the art.

What has been described above includes exemplary implementations of the present invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

1. A shipping container comprising: a shipping base housing; an accessory unit cradle within the shipping base housing, the accessory unit cradle being configured to support an accessory unit within the container; and a winch assembly affixed to the shipping base housing and having at least one attachment cable configured for selective attachment to a transport vehicle, the winch assembly being configured to wind the at least one attachment cable to hoist the shipping base housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
 2. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising a shipping cover housing configured to substantially enclose the accessory unit cooperatively with the shipping base housing.
 3. The shipping container of claim 2, further comprising at least one shipping housing fastener selectively configured to attach the shipping base housing and the shipping cover housing.
 4. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising at least one container wheel attached to the shipping base housing and configured to provide rolling support for transporting the shipping container to the transport vehicle.
 5. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the winch assembly is manually powered.
 6. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising at least one winch motor configured to provide power to the winch assembly.
 7. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the accessory unit is at least one of an engine, a fuel tank, a cargo container, and an air defense pod.
 8. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the accessory unit cradle includes at least one shock-absorbing mounting.
 9. The shipping container of claim 1, further comprising a leveling/tilt system configured to position the accessory unit in a predetermined angular orientation with respect to the transport vehicle.
 10. The shipping container of claim 1, the winch assembly being configured to unwind the at least one attachment cable to lower the shipping base housing from the transport vehicle and the accessory unit mounted to the transport vehicle.
 11. The shipping container of claim 1, the winch assembly comprising a first winch device positioned at a first end of the shipping base housing and a second winch device positioned at a second end of the shipping base housing.
 12. A shipping container for housing an accessory unit mountable to a transport vehicle, the shipping container comprising: means for housing the accessory unit; means for supporting the accessory unit within the means for housing; and means for hoisting the means for housing and the accessory unit into a predetermined position for mounting the accessory unit to the transport vehicle.
 13. The shipping container of claim 12, further comprising means for enclosing the accessory unit within the shipping container and means for fastening the means for enclosing to the means for housing.
 14. The shipping container of claim 12, wherein the means for housing further comprising means for transporting the means for housing to the transport vehicle.
 15. The shipping container of claim 12, further comprising means for positioning the accessory unit in a predetermined angular orientation with respect to the transport vehicle.
 16. The shipping container of claim 12, wherein the means for hoisting comprises a first means for hoisting positioned at a first end of the means for housing and a second means for hoisting positioned at a second end of the means for housing.
 17. A method of installing an accessory unit on a transport vehicle, the method comprising: transporting to the transport vehicle the accessory unit in a shipping container that includes a shipping base housing, an accessory unit cradle within the shipping base housing and a winch assembly having at least one attachment cable, the winch assembly being affixed to the shipping base housing; positioning the shipping container at a desired installation area of the transport vehicle; connecting at least one attachment cable to the transport vehicle; actuating the winch assembly to wind the at least one attachment cable about the winch assembly lifting the shipping base housing and the accessory unit to position the accessory unit for attaching to the transport vehicle; attaching the accessory unit to the transport vehicle; actuating the winch assembly to unwind the at least one attachment cable from the winch assembly lowering the shipping base housing from the transport vehicle; and disconnecting the attachment cable from the transport vehicle.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising removing the shipping cover housing from the shipping base housing prior to connecting the at least one attachment cable to the transport vehicle, the shipping cover housing configured to substantially enclose the accessory unit.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the actuating the winch assembly to wind the at least one attachment cable comprising concurrently winding a first winch device positioned at a first end of the shipping base housing and a second winch device positioned as a second end of the shipping base housing.
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising: positioning the accessory unit on the accessory unit cradle; enclosing the accessory unit with a shipping cover housing configured to substantially enclose the accessory unit within the shipping container; attaching the shipping cover housing to the shipping base housing; and shipping the shipping container to a remote location for attaching the accessory unit to the transport vehicle. 